BURN IT TO THE GROUND: Twins 7, Royals 6

You have to fire everybody. You have to burn it all to the ground.

The 2022 Kansas City Royals, arguably the American League’s worst team, have had a miserable season if you just look at the games prior to Sunday. But there’s something symbolic about Sunday’s game - game No. 40 - the measuring stick that Dayton Moore always refers to that a team has to reach before any judgments can be cast - being the granddaddy of all choke jobs. The type of loss that should trigger firings. The type of loss that should lead to heads rolling.

It won’t, because these are Dayton Moore’s Kansas City Royals, but heads should roll after that.

The Royals led 6-0 in the eighth inning. They lost. I’m not even sure how to organize this, because I had a “They won!” recap in the chamber ready to go, so I’ll give you my best shot.

Let’s start with Brady Singer, because wow, was he good. He threw seven scoreless innings for the second start in a row. Personally, I think this start was more impressive than his last one, which was seven shutout against Chicago back on Tuesday. In that one, his stuff was better and his command was sharper. Today, he really didn’t have tremendous control, but he battled and made timely pitches over and over again. The biggest moment was when he escaped a bases loaded, one-out jam in the sixth inning.

Singer’s final line: 7 innings, four hits, three strikeouts, and three walks. His ERA is 1.83. Amazing how simply getting away from Cal Eldred for a few weeks can make a guy so much better. I’d like to see more swings and misses, which will only make him more consistent. It’s hard to believe the Royals didn’t identify this guy as one of their five best starting pitchers at the beginning of the season. Then again, these are the Royals, so I guess it’s understandable.

Here’s how the offense went for the Royals. They got a third-inning run on an Andrew Benintendi, who reached base four times, but the 1-0 lead was all they managed until the bottom of the sixth. That’s when a five-run outburst took place, beginning with a Hunter Dozier RBI double that snuck inside the third base line. Following a couple of baserunners, Carlos Santana came up with the bases loaded, and he socked a bases-clearing double into the gap to bust the game open at 5-0. Kyle Isbel followed with an RBI single to make it 6-0.

Singer got through seven blank frames, but the bullpen absolutely melted down in the eighth. Taylor Clarke faced four guys and they all reached. Scott Barlow entered as the fireman and got the first two hitters out, but then he put four straight guys on, bringing the Twins within a run at 6-5. Josh Staumont came in with the bases loaded and two outs and got out of it, but he wound up blowing it in the ninth. Mike Matheny watched Staumont go walk-double-sac fly-K-walk in 30 pitches and was like “nah man, he’s totally got this, let’s let him face another hitter!” Gio Urshela lined a very predictable single into right field to give Minnesota a 7-6 lead. The hapless Royals did not threaten in the home half of the ninth. L.

You have to fire someone. You have to. They’re 14-26 and on a four-game losing streak, now a season-worst 12 games under .500. And this was so far past inexcusable that you can’t even put into context. Brady Singer should be allowed to take one of the baseball bats that Ryan O’Hearn swings and misses with all the time and hit everyone in the clubhouse with it.

Dayton Moore, who is usually regarded as a general manager good at assembling bullpens, has now seen his bullpen blow a 6-run lead twice in the last eight days. Mike Matheny makes Ned Yost proud with how long he leaves drowning relievers out there. He managed to leave three relievers out to dry in less than two innings when it was obvious to the entire world that they were done. Cal Eldred is the most worthless human being that’s ever put on a baseball jersey. How in the hell is this joker still the pitching coach for this team? He made four mound visits today and I kid you not, the next hitter after the mound visit reached ALL FOUR TIMES! He is a first-class boob. He is the Steve Physioc of pitching coaches.

Speaking of Physioc, there was something perfect about having him on the call for a pants-soiling of these proportions. He is the mother of all idiots; barely capable of putting words together in a way where a sentence is formed. In the ninth inning, Josh Staumont threw a curveball that was middle-high and off the plate by about three inches, and Physioc said “wow, umps just aren’t giving guys the bottom outside corner!” The Royals pay this fool money to announce their games! He is the Cal Eldred of announcers.

Matheny isn’t the guy. Eldred should be thrown in a river somewhere. Vinnie Pasquantino had two more extra base hits today in Omaha and will again not be called up to replace Santana or Ryan O’Hearn because of course. Hunter Dozier is the best Dayton Moore first round-pick from 2009-2016 and he is still absolutely awful. Did you see that boob try to field a fly ball to right field today? Holy gracious. Ship out Taylor Clarke and don’t try that again for a long time. Trade Andrew Benintendi before he gets hurt. Tell Bally Sports to piss off forever. Send down Bobby Witt Jr. for two weeks so this atrocious year doesn’t count as one of his six years of service. Muzzle Steve Physioc. This team isn’t contending this year, next year, or ever again for as long as Dayton Moore is affiliated with player personnel moves.

Royals fans deserve better than the Royals. Almost 75,000 people filled the K this weekend, paid $21 parking and $17 for a brisket sandwich, and supported this team of jokers. Their reward - three losses, with each increasingly more brutal than the night before.

14-26. Fewest wins in the AL. Fire them all.

Up next: a series in the dessert, so prepare for late-night baseball. Zach Greinke goes for the Royals tomorrow against Arizona at 8:40 pm.